The nomination period for Modern Healthcare's 17th annual Spirit of Excellence awards is now closed. The awards, co-sponsored by Sodexo Health Care Services, honor organizations and individuals that go beyond what’s expected in serving their patients and communities.

Five awards are given as part of the program:

• Service Spirit Award, which recognizes excellence in service and in patient and resident satisfaction.
• Quality Spirit Award, which recognizes quality, safety and performance improvement.
• Community Spirit Award, which recognizes community education, support and outreach.
• Team Spirit Award, which recognizes employee recruitment and retention.
• CARES Spirit Award, which recognizes a team or group of individuals whose collective actions, attitudes and behaviors personify: compassion, accountability, respect, enthusiasm and service.

Modern Healthcare with the assistance of an outside panel of judges will recognize winners and honorable mentions in each of the five categories. Per editorial policy, award sponsors are not involved in the judging or determination of award recipients. Each of the five winners will receive a cash prize of $5,000, and each of the five honorable mentions will receive a $1,500 cash prize, courtesy of Sodexo.

For more information visit the Spirit of Excellence FAQ section of our Web site.